Jesudasan Maryia Therese

chef

Growing up in Kandy, a poor village in Sri Lanka, Jesu always dreamed of becoming a chef. He worked hard and achieved that career ambition at a restaurant in Batticloa in East Sri Lanka.

As the conflict in his home country escalated, Jesu knew that he had to find a new way to provide for his family safely. On the day of his departure, his wife went into labour and he had to choose whether to go to the hospital or to go to the boat. He chose the boat for the future of his family, missing out on his second child’s birth by half an hour.

All that Jesu earns today is sent back to his family. On his days off, he spends the entire day face-timing his family; on the bus, at the shops, and when he has dinner – he shares it all with his family half a world away. He longs to hug his family again, especially his 3-year old daughter who he has only ever known through tiny screens.